Paintball is indeed a challenging sport and has recently turned out to be one of the best part-time activities for lots of people who want to experience an exciting outdoor activity.
Once you start playing on a regularly basis, it is better that you purchase your personal safety gear, along with choosing a paintball gun you feel confident with and which will also give you a more enjoyable time.
It is understandable that you may have no idea where to start with, while looking for a gun that shoots straight and fast. There is a lot to choose from, and a lot to know about them, which will be the most suitable for you, and be all you have looked for. So, take your time and do your research well.
It is true that you may hear serious players talk about different ways of choosing a gun, so you can learn from them what make and model is the best, and if that particular mark and model is all they were looking for.

You could go to those veteran players that are more than happy to give you a piece of advice, as if there is anything they love talking about, that's their paintball guns.
You should know from the very beginning that paintball guns may be quite expensive but they are sure worth it, especially if you are really into playing this game. It's very important to get what you want, or even start with a common gun, and then work your way up to the special gun you want, as you become more experienced.
There are guns that range up to thousands of dollars, so you may want to start with a gun that your feel comfortable to spend your money on. Taking out a loan for this kind of gun is not what I advise you to do, unless there's someone in your family that would loan you the money.

Think about your style when you start playing it, and when you are out in the open. Paintball is a slow game but, as you become a passionate and regular player, your entire style will change to a more competitive one, and get faster as you see more of a challenge in this exciting sport.
So, you should start looking for a gun designed for speed as well as for performance.
Start surfing the Internet and you'll find lots of information on makes and models; you could even try reading other's opinions and reviews on this.
Of course, one way you can really get the feeling of the gun is to actually test it and make sure you ask if you could try it, before you purchase it. What you could also do, is to try your friends' guns, as there would always be someone that might let you try his gun. Or, you could even rent a gun; ask them about the models, as chances are they don't have one model only. Rentals usually include better beginner as well as novice models.
Paintball was designed for your fun, and if you remember western movies, we even tried imitating cowboys shooting each other in the movies, and hiding behind trees or rocks. This is the reason they invented paintball, and western movies have been taken to a new, modern level under the form of a game, even if it sometimes hurts.

So, whether you choose to purchase or borrow the gun, it must be comfortable.
In order for you to get the most out of a gun, you need to have a basic understanding of how it works and what you can do with it.